There were once a great many wolves in New England and in other parts of the United States,
and some are left yet, although many have been killed or driven away. There are still great
numbers of them in some countries. In England the month of January used to be called Wolf-
monat, or wolf-month; "because," as an old book says, "people are wont in that moneth to be
more in danger to be devoured of wolves than in any season els of the yeare, for that through the
extremity of cold and snow those ravenous creatures could not find other beasts sufficient to
feed upon."
A sad story is told of something that happened in Russia a few years since. A woman was one
day riding on a sledge with her three children over a lonely road, when suddenly she heard the
noise of wolves behind her. She was not very far from home, and tried to urge her horse on, to
get out of their reach; but they gained upon her every moment, and were just on the point of
rushing on the sledge, when the poor woman, to save the lives of the rest, caught up one of the
children and threw it to the wolves. This stopped them but a short time; they devoured it at once
and again ran howling after the sledge. The mother threw out a second child, hoping to escape
with the other; but in vain. Again the cruel animals were close behind her, and to save her own
life, hardly knowing what she did, she threw over her only remaining child. She succeeded in
reaching home herself, in safety, but where were her children? She told the terrible story; but
while she was endeavoring to excuse herself by telling of her exceeding fright and danger, a man
who stood by struck her on the head with an axe and killed her at one blow-saying that a woman
who would thus give up her children to save her life, was not fit to live.
The Bible tells us of a time yet to come, when "The wolf shall feed with the lamb." Perhaps this
will be exactly true of the animals in those days, though it now seems so unlikely; but I suppose
it means also that wicked and cruel men shall become holy and Christ-like. Then all will be
peace on earth, and "none shall hurt or destroy in all" God's "holy mountain."
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